Kehl

BIO

Name: Kehl Vortex
Species: Human (pre‑transformation) → Sharkman (post‑transformation)
Age: Not specified
Height: 6’8” (203 cm) — post‑transformation
Weight: 320 lbs (145 kg) — post‑transformation
Pre‑transformation Size: 5’10” (178 cm), 130 lbs (59 kg)
Hometown: Seattle, Washington, USA
Role: Independent geneticist; emerging protector of local marine ecosystems  

Kehl Vortex grew up in Seattle in a family of marine biologists, spending his childhood between tide pools and research books. At 19 he entered the University of Washington’s Faculty of Genetics, prioritizing academics over athletics and developing a quiet, tireless focus on experimental biology. After graduation—and with support from his wealthy parents—he set up a private lab overlooking Puget Sound to pursue cutting‑edge gene therapy.

A late‑night breakthrough redirected his life: an experimental serum combining shark DNA with muscle‑growth compounds triggered a rapid transformation. Kehl emerged as a sharkman—blue skin with a white underbelly, dorsal fin, sharpened teeth, functional gills, and a powerful tail—now standing 6’8” and a muscular 320 lbs. Embracing his new form, he continues his research while exploring the waters he once only studied, channeling his curiosity into safeguarding marine habitats around Seattle.

DESCRIPTION

Personality: Curious and inventive; resilient in the face of change; introspective and reserved with most people; protective of ocean ecosystems and motivated by scientific responsibility.
Appearance: Post‑transformation blue skin with a glossy white underbelly; shark‑like dorsal fin and tail; sharp teeth; teal‑blue hair; retains his glasses. Muscular, stocky build with a prominent, firm belly and powerful limbs.
Style & Setting: Prefers loose black pants tailored for his frame. Most often found in his private lab or along the Seattle waterfront, straddling a life of research and open‑water patrols.
Capabilities: Powerful swimmer with explosive bursts; functional gills for underwater breathing; enhanced strength and durability from the serum’s lasting effects.

Stats

Strength: 8/10 — Enhanced by my experimental formula, I can hoist heavy loads and drive through strong currents.
Agility: 6/10 — I’m swift in water, but my bulk slows land movement.
Intelligence: 9/10 — I’m a focused geneticist with a knack for turning failed trials into breakthroughs.
Endurance: 7/10 — I sustain long research sessions and extended swims, though my new body demands more energy.
Charisma: 5/10 — Quiet and reserved, but my transformed presence commands attention when needed.
Special Ability — Muscle Surge (8/10 effectiveness): A short‑term boost to strength and regeneration, drawing on residual effects of the enhancement formula.

BACKGROUND

Kehl Vortex was born in Seattle, Washington, a city nestled between the rugged Pacific Northwest coast and the towering Cascade Range. Raised in a family of marine biologists, Kehl developed an early fascination with the ocean’s mysteries, spending summers exploring tide pools and dreaming of unlocking the secrets of marine life. At the age of 19, driven by a passion to push the boundaries of genetic engineering, Kehl joined the Faculty of Genetics at the University of Washington. During his time as a student, he was notably thin with minimal muscular definition, weighing just 130 lbs and standing at 5’10”, a reflection of his intense focus on academics over physical pursuits.

After graduating, Kehl, supported by his wealthy parents, began working independently in a private lab overlooking Puget Sound. His research took an unexpected turn when he accidentally discovered a muscle enhancement formula. This breakthrough, detailed in a separate story, triggered a dramatic transformation, turning Kehl into a sharkman. The formula enhanced his physique to a towering 6’8” and a muscular 320 lbs, infusing him with shark-like traits: blue skin with a white underbelly, a dorsal fin, sharp teeth, and a powerful tail. Despite the accidental nature of his change, Kehl embraced his new form, using his enhanced abilities to continue his genetic research and explore the depths of the ocean he once studied from afar. Seattle remains his home, where he balances his scientific endeavors with the challenges of his transformed life.

PERSONALITY

• Curious and Innovative: Kehl’s academic background fuels his drive to experiment and innovate, even after his transformation.
• Resilient: He adapts to his new sharkman body with determination, turning an accident into an opportunity.
• Introspective: Prefers solitary work but opens up to those who share his passion for science.
• Protective: Feels a newfound duty to protect marine ecosystems, inspired by his roots and new form.

APPEARANCE

• Species: Human (pre-transformation) / Sharkman (post-transformation)
• Color: Pre-transformation: Fair skin; Post-transformation: Blue with a white underbelly, glossy scales.
• Build: Pre-transformation: Thin at 130 lbs; Post-transformation: Muscular and stocky at 320 lbs, with a prominent belly and strong limbs.
• Features: Post-transformation: Shark-like dorsal fin, sharp teeth, blue hair, and glasses retained from his student days. Wears loose black pants to suit his new physique.
• Setting: Often found in his private lab or near the Seattle waterfront, reflecting his dual life.

EXPERIMENT

It was an ordinary evening. Kehl was sitting at his desk, observing cell behavior through a microscope in the dimly lit confines of his private lab overlooking Puget Sound. The soft hum of equipment filled the air, punctuated by the occasional creak of his old wooden chair. His thin frame was hunched over in frustration as he adjusted the lens. A whole year… and no results. The words echoed in his mind, a bitter refrain of his stalled progress, interrupted by a sudden cramp in his lower back from sitting too long.

"What am I doing wrong?" he muttered, slamming his fist onto the table. The impact rattled a half-empty coffee mug and sent a pencil rolling to the floor. "I need those muscles—new six-pack abs, pecs, feet, legs. More muscles."

Driven by desperation and the weight of his wealthy parents’ expectations, Kehl reached for a vial on his cluttered workbench, brushing aside a stack of notes that fluttered to the ground. Inside was a serum he’d been tinkering with—a volatile mix of shark DNA and experimental muscle-growth compounds. With a shaky breath, he tied off his arm with a tourniquet, the rubber biting into his pale skin and leaving a faint red mark. He filled a syringe, his heart pounding as he injected the serum into his vein, wincing slightly as the needle pricked. Surprisingly, he didn’t feel anything—no burning, no rush—just a cold numbness spreading through his arm, though a slight itch began to annoy him at the injection site.

"Maybe it’s a dud," he thought, shrugging it off. He got changed into loose pajamas, stumbling slightly as he tripped over a stray lab coat, took a quick shower to clear his mind—nearly slipping on the wet tiles—and went to bed, the lab’s silence settling around him as he adjusted a lumpy pillow.

As the night deepened, an unseen transformation began within Kehl’s body. The serum, absorbed into his bloodstream, activated at a cellular level, triggering a rapid proliferation of muscle and adipose tissue. His muscle fibers, once dormant, began to elongate and multiply, each cell dividing and fusing with newfound vigor, inflating his chest into broad, sculpted pecs and thickening his arms and legs into powerful limbs. His abdominal region underwent an extraordinary change as well—muscle cells intermingled with expanding adipose tissue, creating a large, rounded belly that grew steadily. The muscles in his belly thickened and layered, adding a firm, dense core beneath the elastic fat, giving it a pumped-up, powerful appearance rather than just softness, though the process caused a faint gurgling sound as his body adjusted. This growth was fueled by the shark DNA, which redirected nutrients to enhance both strength and buoyancy. A sleek, finned tail sprouted from his lower back, its cartilage forming as cells differentiated and hardened overnight, the new appendage twitching uncomfortably against the sheets. His skin pigment shifted from fair to a vibrant blue, the white underbelly emerging as a stark contrast, while his belly button transformed into a small, pronounced dimple. His hair morphed into a wavy, teal-blue mane, framing his face with a wild edge, though it felt slightly tangled from the night’s sweat. The claws on his hands and feet lengthened, their glossy curves forming as keratin cells multiplied, tingling with a new, sharp sensation that made his fingers itch.

The next morning, Kehl woke with a strange sensation. The blanket was pushed high above the couch, tangled around his new tail, and something heavy was pressing against his back, a firm yet elastic pressure that made his spine ache slightly. "What the hell is going on?" he exclaimed, bolting upright and nearly knocking over a bedside lamp. He stood and looked at himself, his jaw dropping. His body had transformed overnight—his once lanky frame now rippled with firm, dense muscles, his arms and legs bulging with newfound power. But his belly… it was huge, round and protruding, a blend of muscular firmness and elastic fat, a stark yet striking contrast to the chiseled definition elsewhere, though it felt a bit tender from the rapid growth.

"My belly… what happened to it? It’s… huge," he muttered, running his hands over the taut, elastic skin. It yielded slightly under his touch, like a rubbery balloon filled with strength, the elasticity revealing the underlying muscle as he pressed, sending a curious thrill through him, though a slight soreness lingered. His fingers brushed against the sharp, newly formed claws at his fingertips—curved, glossy, and wickedly pointed, their tips humming with a primal energy as he flexed them, the sensation both exhilarating and mildly irritating as they scraped against his palm.

"Ugh," Kehl groaned, putting on his glasses and heading to the bathroom, wincing as his tail bumped against the doorframe. When he looked at himself in the mirror, he didn’t recognize the face staring back—blue skin, a white underbelly, a dorsal fin slicing through his teal hair, and those sharp teeth grinning back. "I’ve changed… this is awesome," he thought, a grin spreading across his face despite the shock. But the belly—damn it, I didn’t want this, I just wanted muscles. What now? He rubbed it thoughtfully, the elastic flesh bouncing slightly under his claws, and to his surprise, he liked the feeling of being so full, pumped up with this new muscular vitality.

"If I’m a shark now… does that mean I can breathe underwater?" Curiosity piqued, he filled the bathtub to the brim, the water sloshing and splashing onto the floor as he struggled to maneuver his larger frame. Then he lowered himself in, submerging fully, his claws gripping the edge and leaving faint scratches as his massive body settled. The water enveloped him, and to his delight, he breathed effortlessly, gills flaring along his neck, though the chlorine stung slightly. "Oh yeah," Kehl thought, "this feels good." His belly jutted out of the water, round and proud, bobbing gently with the ripples, its muscular core evident beneath the surface.

He emerged from the water and, without drying off, went into the living room, water dripping onto the carpet and leaving wet footprints, his tail dragging slightly and catching on a rug. Then he stood in front of the mirror and looked at himself. "I’ve definitely gotten better," he mused, admiring the blue sheen of his skin and the power in his limbs, though a faint ache lingered in his shoulders. Then he began to strike various poses, flexing his arms to highlight his bulging muscles, turning to show off his tail—nearly knocking over a vase—and patting his elastic, muscle-enhanced belly with a clawed hand, a mix of pride and curiosity in his grin.